Pawpaw Patch

by Janice Daugharty

In Georgia, a woman's life comes crashing down when the town discovers she has black blood. One moment Chanell Foster, 40, a recently divorced, voluptuous hairdresser is riding high, the money rolling in, the men buzzing like flies, the next her salon isempty and people won't speak to her. An opportunity for Chanell to show she not only has a body, but character too.Wondering why her friends and fellow townspeople are shunning her once-bustling beauty shop, owner Chanell Foster hears rumors that she is being ostracized because her family is part Creole

Genres: Fiction

233 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Back on Goodreads and back to writing, and hopefully publishing.
I need my fans, old and new, to boost my confidence, as I start over again.
The reason for my long absence can be chalked up to...well, life!
I have a large family and most live on our property, in South Georgia, Cow Creek Farm. No, we don't farm, and no, we no longer have cows. The name is derived from a creek called "Cow" that flows through our property.
OK, enough about me. I want to hear about you--what you're reading, maybe writing. Or just what you are doing nowadays.
Love, Janice

Reviews

[Shelby *trains flying monkeys* · Rating 1 out of 5]

Probably the worst book I've read this year. Why I finished it is beyond me.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding home

Betty Jean, alias Chanell, thinks small town gossip cuts without pity the poor fool it lands on. She got a full dose of mixed ancestry, segregation labor pains, and severe depression after she finds customers are boycotting her beauty salon. Someone started a rumor that her Creole grandparents might not be the proper racial mix. A very good depiction of rumor mills and bias can frame a whole town and it's daily functions.Characters are well described and comfortable in their roles but squeaking rubber soles on tennis shoes can give away their wearers!

[Sharon · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book felt very racist. I know the author was trying to point out that judging people is wrong - but . . .
Glad that I got my worst book read of 2021 out of the way so quickly.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

There aren't many authors who can take me back to my Southern childhood--with all of its poignancy, its flaws, and yes, it's bigotry--than Janice Daugharty. The memories that PawPaw Patch evoked were almost painful, but no less real. The long summer days, with their heat and bugs and boredom, were portrayed so beautifully. And the racism, well, that was portrayed accurately too.

I can't fault the author for her character's flaws; they were all too familiar which, to me, made them more real. I felt pity for the main character, Chanell, while at the same time was embarrassed for her, and then found myself silently cheering for her as she fought against the hatefulness that was levied against her. Chanell's saving grace, I think, was her recognition of her own weakness of character and her shame because of it.

I'm looking forward to more books from Janice Daugharty; she has a true talent.

[Ronald Wilcox · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I generally love Southern women writers, I have to admit that I was pretty disappointed in this book. The first half of the book was very detailed and very boring and a struggle to get through. The second half of the book, after the main character begins to be shunned by others in the town, is better but still not that great. The story feels very dated (in 1990's but feels like 1950's) as do the attitudes of the characters about race, including the main character herself. The Help is a much better story about racism in the South and set in the appropriate time period for the actions and attitudes of the characters. Can't really recommend this one to anyone. :-(

[Lace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was looking for some more southern fiction to read. A friend recommended Pawpaw Patch. I loved it. I connected with the weird southern humor and the eccentric characters. Whether we like it or not, all towns have prejudices, and I think Janice Daugharty captured southern life perfectly. Some people on Goodreads didn't like Chanell, but I loved her grit. Pawpaw Patch would make a great movie.

[Pat · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book rings true, but it draws a picture of characters and a way of life that I chose to escape from many years ago. I didn't like the characters and could barely get through the book. It did make me glad that I chose to open my own eyes and make changes in myself.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of boring and pointless with little plot, and I'm usually a big fan of southern women's fiction.

[Alison]

free kindle today

[Susan Toy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a free eBook I recently downloaded. I did not read very far before I realized that this book was just not for me, hence the one-star rating.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

the story that breings back the way people felt years ago in small towns in the South but these things happened all over the country.

[Barbara J Wicks · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read

I've lived in a small town in the south. The author has gotten the real essence of one of those towns.

[Kathy Roling · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good current Southern book that shows bigotry at its worst. I really liked it.